This guide covers wrongful death and survival actions from the death through distribution of the proceeds. It begins with the statutory origin of both claims and the distinction that governs everything downstream: the wrongful death claim belongs to the survivors for their losses, while the survival claim belongs to the estate for what the decedent suffered. Standing chapters cover the personal representative and beneficiary models, the priority of beneficiaries, and the recurring complications of separated spouses, absent parents, unmarried partners, and stepchildren. Damages chapters cover the full catalogue on both claims, the pecuniary loss limitation, loss of society, grief damages, and the caps that determine viability. Later chapters cover the evidence problem created by the decedent's absence, the consciousness inquiry that decides survival damages, allocation between the claims and its creditor consequences, distribution and court approval, the federal regimes that displace state law, limitations and notice deadlines, and litigation.